How to Use Hijack This to Clean Spyware From Your System

Hijack This is a powerful tool against spyware. The following Tech-Recipes tutorial contains some useful hints for using it.

You will see Hijack This used in many forums for fixing spyware.

Most systems infected with spyware DO NOT NEED Hijack This. Most systems infected can be cleaned with the common powerful spyware removal tools such as adaware, spybot, and others. Hijack This should only be used when multiple antispyware tools have not been successful.

Therefore, before thinking about using Hijack This, you should download, install, update, and execute several of the common antispyware tools that exist. You may find links to them here.

After you install the antispyware program, make sure that you update it! After you scan your system with these tools, make sure you tell the tools to fix any problems that they find. You should also download, install, update, and run a good antivirus program. You will never clean a system without removing the viruses as well.

If all of this fails, then you should consider using Hijack This which can also be downloaded from the link above. Download it into a real directory on your desktop (not in a temporary directory). This is important or you will not be able to “undo” any errors when using Hijack This from a temporary directory.

Before running Hijack This, you should close all your non-vital programs! This will take some of the trash out of your log. You may post your Hijack Log into a Hijack This friendly forum only after you read the rules of that forum. Posting logs without reading the rules will usually get your post ignored or deleted. When you post your log, you should tell what problems you are having and which antispyware and antivirus programs that you have already tried.

When somebody asks you to delete a file after reading your Hijack This log, you will probably have to boot into safe mode and view hidden files in order to delete these files.

David Kirk is one of the original founders of tech-recipes and is currently serving as editor-in-chief. Not only has he been crafting tutorials for over ten years, but in his other life he also enjoys taking care of critically ill patients as an ICU physician.View more articles by David Kirk